Crazy For Cora
by AshleighWrites97
Summary: Could be a continuation of my AU for my own fic entitled The Note, so consider it The Note AU: Part Two. The second chapter of this will take place before the events of this one, as Bricker's own flashbacks. So voila, here we are. It's basically about Simon Bricker coming back to Downton and he has been driven mad by his love for Cora. Does get slightly violent.
1. Chapter 1

**Crazy For Cora**

**By: **Miss Phyllis Baxter (knockedoveralamp)

**Ship: **Robert x Cora; One-Sided Bricker x Cora

**Word Count: **2035

**Author's Note:** Could be a continuation of my AU for my own fic entitled The Note, so consider it The Note AU Part Two. The second chapter of this will take place before the events of this one, as Bricker's own flashbacks. So voila, here we are. It's basically about Simon Bricker coming back to Downton. Also, Simon has been driven mad by his love for Cora. Oops. Thank you again to my genius beta settees-under-siege. I love you darling. Most of the genius lines in this are probably from her brain that sound much better than my own words.

Robert and Cora sat in the library, Robert at his desk and Cora sitting on the settee, working on her embroidery. Every so often, one of them would speak and the other would reply quietly. After some time, Cora put her embroidery away and went to find a book to read. Robert's eyes were drawn to his wife as she tilted her head, trawling through the reams of books on the shelves. "Darling, what book are you looking for?" Robert asked.

"I'm not sure, I don't know what I want to read," she replied. Robert stood with a smile and approached his wife, pulling _Jane Eyre _off the shelf for his wife's inspection. She took it with a smile. "Oh, why not?" He took her hand and led her back to the settee, sitting down with her on it, and holding her hand. She leaned over to him and kissed him softly. The two of them stayed in each others embraces, their lips remaining close to one another, until the door of the library opened and Mr Carson entered.

"Mr Bricker, milord," he said, turning to leave and revealing Simon Bricker to the couple cuddled together on the settee. Once Carson was gone, Robert stood, his face a stone cold mask.

"Get out of here," he growled, turning quickly to make sure Cora was still sitting, he didn't want this cad anywhere near her ever again. "Why are you here? Get out and never come back."

"You know why I'm here. I'm here to claim what's mine," Simon replied calmly, walking closer to them.

"What are you talking about?" Robert asked, mildly confused, forgetting all about the note that he had received a few months before.

Seeing that Cora's joke of a husband was momentarily wrong-footed, he seized his chance, walking around Robert with a small smirk on his face. "I'm here for Cora," Simon said simply, taking Cora's arm. "I told you I would have her, and I'm taking her now. Come along Cora, we'll get you packed and out of here. And I want you to remove your rings. You don't belong to him anymore." He pulled her, trying to get her out of the library, while Cora fought back.

"No, you're not having me. Mr Bricker let go of me now before I scream," Cora threatened, trying to pull his hand off her arm. Robert tried to reach out to her, but Simon moved too quickly and pulled her into him, holding her body to his. "Mr Bricker, please. Let me go."

"Darling Cora, you must call me Simon. I don't think that two people as in love as we are should have to use formalities like _Lady Grantham _and _Mr Bricker, _you must call me Simon and I'll keep calling you Cora," Simon whispered into her ear, pressing a kiss there. Cora whimpered lightly. "Now just because your very unworthy husband is here does not mean you need to pretend for his sake. Cora, I know you love me. Come along."

"Simon," Cora said, turning her head slightly. "Darling, I can't come along until you let me go. You're right, absolutely right. I need you. We need each other. We belong together. Come along, we'll go and get my things and we'll run away." _Oh Robert, please figure out that I'm just trying to get his guard down, I'd never betray you like that. Not in my entire life. I love you Robert, _Cora thought as Simon released her. She briefly made eye contact with Robert, trying to communicate her real intentions to him. His hand found its way to his mouth and he subtly replied that he understood.

Cora turned and left the library with Simon in tow. Robert walked straight to the bell cord and pulled on it 3 times, hoping it would alert the servant's more swiftly to the situation than his typical one pull. Less than two minutes later, Carson entered the library in haste.

"Is there a problem milord?" he asked, looking around in concern for her Ladyship. He shouldn't have allowed Mr Bricker to come in, after he had sensed that Mr Bricker was at least part of the cause of strain in his employer's marriage.

"I need you to get someone to go into my dressing room and listen to make sure they don't hear anything happening that could pose as a danger to her Ladyship," Robert explained. "Either Bates, Thomas or Molesley. I need you to get the police here now. I'll be in the bedroom with her Ladyship and Mr Bricker. She's distracting him and trying to buy some time. He wants to pull her from me and have her for himself."

"That's terrible milord," Carson exclaimed. "Shall I send Miss Baxter up to the room to help you and her Ladyship?"

"Yes please, explain it and make sure that it's quick. I'll ring for Baxter once I'm in the room, and then she'll need to come up. Whoever you're sending to the dressing room, just explain they need to listen for any sound of fighting. Thank you Carson," Robert said before running out of the library and hurrying up the stairs. He knocked gently on the bedroom door and opened it. Cora was sitting on the settee at the end of their bed while Simon rummaged through her wardrobe, deciding what he wanted her to bring. Robert walked right to Cora, hoping that Bricker was too tied up with his current task to notice. He fell to his knees in front of her and took her hands. "Cora darling. Please don't leave me. Without you, I'm nothing. I know I'm a terrible husband and that I don't deserve you, I never have and I probably never will. But I love you and I will strive to be worthy of your love. Please don't leave."

Simon turned as he heard the whispering behind him. "Back off Grantham, or I'll hurt you," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a knife. Cora whimpered again. "No Cora, I'd never hurt you. Never. You're my Cora, my darling, my love."

"Don't hurt Robert," she cried, standing up and reaching for the knife in Simon's hand. "Please don't hurt him. He doesn't deserve to be hurt like that. You wanted me to go with you, and I'll be going with you. But you can't hurt Robert."

"So you still love him?" Simon asked, jerking the hand holding the knife out of Cora's reach. "Cora, tell me you don't love him. Please tell me that." Core remained silent, turning away from Simon to look at Robert. Simon moved his hand so that the knife was against Cora's arm, gently pressing into it. "I may love you, but I can still hurt you, I can change my mind about that. Especially if you try to turn your back on me. I won't hesitate in forcing you Cora. I refuse to be without you. I refuse to let you stay in this unloving and neglectful marriage with this pompous ass."

"Simon, you shouldn't say things you don't mean," Cora said. "Robert isn't a pompous ass, and he doesn't neglect me, he does love me. And yes, I still love him. I won't change my mind about coming with you, but there will always be a part of me that loves Robert. You must understand that." Cora thought that Simon had understood until she felt the cold blade press against her throat.

"You move Lord Grantham, and I will kill her. This is the final straw. Cora, you are not allowed to love him anymore, because you love me. You love me," he growled in her ear, making her shiver and shake with fear.

"Let her go Bricker, you really don't want to hurt her, do you?" Robert asked. "If you hurt her then neither of us win in this great battle for Cora, do we? And holding a knife to her throat isn't going to help her to love you, is it?"

"She already loves me, don't you Cora?" he asked, shaking her lightly.

"Simon, please don't hurt her. Hurt me," Robert pleaded, hoping to mentally disarm him. "If you hurt me, you can have her, and she really will be your prize, won't she?"

"Prizes are typically shown off. I don't plan on letting Cora see the light of day once we get back to London. I don't want other men looking at my Cora. I have a special place to keep her," he explained. "It's a nice place in my home and no one will ever see her again except for me."

Cora started sobbing, trying to not struggle too much in case the blade pressed deeper into her throat.

Robert was at a loss of words. From what he understood, he assumed that Bricker wanted to lock Cora up in a dark room and use her for his pleasure and keep her out of sight the rest of the time. Either that or have her on display only for his viewing. Cora didn't deserve to be treated like that, he just wouldn't allow the woman he loved to be hidden away like that. He wouldn't let this man, who could so easily hold a knife to her throat and smile, take her away from him. He mentally kicked himself for even letting Bricker bring her upstairs. He should have dealt with the whole situation downstairs and he really should have beaten Bricker to a pulp in order to teach that cad a lesson. "Mr Bricker, please you don't need to hurt her. Hurting her will only make her more reluctant to be with you," Robert explained. "Cora likes gentle men, kind men, men that make her smile and laugh; not men that could hurt her like you're doing right now. If you want to hurt someone, hurt me. I'm the one whose made you angry, not Cora. If you want Cora to enjoy being with you, you have to treasure her."

"You're not taking this seriously Lord Grantham," Simon spat, taking the knife from Cora's throat and pushing her towards the bed. She fell onto the bed and moved quickly into a sitting up position. "You obviously don't think that I'll hurt you. I know Cora asked me not to, but men can't be listening to their women all the time can they?"

"Why don't you ring for Cora's maid, she could help the two of you pack," Robert suggested, realizing that he had forgotten to ring for Baxter upon his arrival. "Baxter could even bring up a couple of cases with her."

"You're tying to stay my hand Lord Grantham, and it won't work," Bricker said, moving to the bell cord and pulling it forcefully. He sat down beside where he had thrown Cora. He reached his hand out to touch her hair. She pulled back. "Cora, I didn't mean what just happened. Your husband angered me, I never would have hurt you, don't you know that? I love you, and I know that you love me." She sniffled and made to move off the bed, back to where she felt safe, in Robert's arms.

As Simon pulled her back to him, the door burst open, revealing Carson, Thomas and two police officers. The four men entered the room and took one look at the chilling scene and made straight for Bricker, pulling him off the bed and away from Cora. Robert sat down and opened his arms, trying to get Cora to hold onto him. She moved into his arms and clutched onto him. Baxter came in a moment later and quietly began to put Cora's clothing back into the wardrobe before Bates and Molesley came in from the dressing room. Bates left soon after to get some tea for Cora who was still shaking.

The police officers left soon enough, leading Simon away in handcuffs. Cora insisted that she and Robert lay down together for a short rest before teatime. With the cause of their fear gone away, the two of them felt safer than they had since his arrival in their lives, and they knew that they would be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

**Word Count: **1074

**Author's Note: **This part is basically Simon's thought processes after Robert beat him up and before he returned to Downton. I also use the Note from my other fic "The Note AU" in this chapter, as Simon writes it. It's much shorter than the first part, but I just wanted to show Simon's immediate reaction to the events that occurred in the Mercia bedroom. Thank you once again to my lovely beta, settees-under-siege. You mean so much to me.

_Lord Grantham,_

_By now you know of my affections for your wife and I know of your complete disregard for her happiness and welfare. I have already expressed how I feel about your ignorance of her beauty and her intelligence and it may have upset you, but that makes no difference to me. I will see her again and I will make her mine. I'm the only one who truly understands her, what she wants and what she needs. My darling Cora doesn't deserve a man like you, one who neglects her and pretends that she isn't there at all. _

_I couldn't care less if my words hurt you, because as they say, the truth does hurt. Cora and I belong together and nothing you can do will stop us from being happy. _

_Soon you will know what it means to lose everything you may or may not have held close to you. You were a fool to ignore her in the first place._

_S. Bricker_

Simon smiled as he signed his name and folded the note. Hopefully this would make _him_ feel like the useless man that he was. _He _would never truly understand Cora as he did, _he _would never love her like he did. _He _did not deserve a woman like Cora; and soon Cora would be in the arms of the man who truly understood and loved her. Soon he, Simon Bricker, would be the lover (and hopefully, one day the husband) of Cora Crawley. He hated thinking of her surname, it was only proof that she currently belonged to the wrong man. _One day, _Simon thought, she_ will be Mrs Bricker, and she will be mine in every way. _

He looked over at the bed and sighed with longing. He wanted Cora to be in his bed with him. He wanted to have her. She would be the most amazing lover in the entire world if only he could lead her from the horrible trap of submission that _he_ had seemingly forced her into. She didn't deserve to be treated the way she had been. Being married to that man for 34 years must have been like living in a nightmare. Sure, he could see no signs of physical abuse, but he couldn't say that it never happened. Some people are good at hiding bruises and with 34 years behind them, he doubted _that cad_ would hit her somewhere where the bruises would be visible. He'd have enough experience by now with hurting Cora.

_How strong my darling Cora is, _Simon thought with pride. _To be able to put up with that horrid man, his abuse and neglect, for 34 years and not have had her spirit broken. _He felt proud of Cora, yet his pride was diminished by the sadness that he felt. How could the family and staff stand by and watch _him _abuse Cora for so long? They should have done something. There was something odd about the staff here at Downton Abbey. Most of them seemed to worship _him, _and looked upon the marriage of their employer's as an example of true love, of utter devotion to one another, and something all couples should aspire to have. He found it to be disgusting that so many people could turn a blind eye to the abuse and fear that existed in the very home they lived and worked in.

He placed the note to that horrible man in an envelope and sealed it, writing _Lord Grantham _across it. He needed to understand that Cora would be leaving him, an Earl, for a lowly art historian.

Simon thought of the grand plans he had for himself and Cora. He would take her to London and show her off for a night or two. He'd take her out to dinner and the pictures before taking her back to his home and ravishing her all night, every night. She wouldn't be let out alone, but he wouldn't abuse her. He'd do everything to make her happy. He wouldn't let an unkind hand ever touch her again. The only fear he had in his heart was that once Lord Grantham received the note and she had left him, _he _would go after Cora and beat her. He couldn't have that happening, she was everything to him. But he still felt that the next time he saw his beloved, she would be battered and bruised at the hands of her terrible husband. He touched the spot where _he _had hit him and he winced. If that much pain was caused by one hit, how much pain would Cora be in after a full beating?

Simon considered himself a unique man and he knew that many men did hurt their women, whilst he never would. He loved Cora too much to ever hurt her in any way. She was his one true love and he would have her. It was impossible for him to go any time at all without thinking about her. _Cora will be mine and only mine, I will hurt anyone who tries to come between us ever again. _

Things had changed between the two of them, he had changed Cora. She had even told him that she never talked about herself, that no one cared or wanted to hear what she had to say. He had brought her into the light and shown her happiness. Shown her that she was more than her own family gave her credit for. She was everything to him and she would always be treated that way. His love for Cora would never die and he would not let it remain in the shadows for very much longer. He simply would not allow his Cora to remain in the current situation she was in. He had to save her. The Lord had sent him to Downton for a reason and the Della Franchesca was not that reason, Cora was. He had been sent to Downton to save Cora, and that was just what he would do.

He walked over to the bed and lay down on it, shutting his eyes. _Soon, I shall have the most beautiful woman in the world wrapped around me as I sleep, _he thought as he drifted off. _Cora, my darling. I love you and I only hope that your husband has not taken his rage out on you. My beautiful Cora, you will be mine soon enough. _


End file.
